blake
Chinups and pullups are among the finest—and most difficult—bodyweight exercises available. The basic pulling exercise, especially if it’s been a number of years since you last climbed on the jungle gym at school, may be rather difficult to do correctly. This variation might help you rebuild your strength, develop technique, and allow you to add a weight if you’re able to pull your own weight. The weighted seated chinup could be the solution for you.
To begin, grab a light dumbbell and set up in a Smith Machine or power rack so you can adjust the bar’s height. Sit beneath the bar with your legs stretched out on the floor, then squeeze the weight between your thighs. The extra weight isn’t simply there to add to the workload; squeezing the dumbbell will encourage you to engage your core while performing chinups. When most guys perform traditional reps, this is an area where core activation and body control should be essential.
With an underhand (supinated) grip, grab the bar. The bar should be high enough that your elbows can fully extend while your glutes are on the ground, to begin with. Pull yourself up and place your chin over the bar, bringing your legs off the floor. Hold for a moment at the top, then slowly descend back down until your butt is on the ground once again. That’s one rep in total.
The seated weighted chinup is significantly simpler with shoulder mobility, as you don’t want to overly lean back in order to change your spine angle because the reps are easier that way. It’s possible that hamstring flexibility is an issue for you; if you have difficulty fully extending your legs while pulling your body up, no worries if your knees are somewhat bent as long as your feet are off the floor.
The seated weighted chinup is not merely a biceps and back-building exercise, as most guys believe of chinups. Core engagement is crucial—you’ll activate your biceps, lats, forearms, quads, hip flexors, and abs all at once.
Begin with lightweight and moderate reps, especially if you haven’t done this exercise in a while. I recommend stretching and warming up your shoulders and hamstrings before going under the bar. To begin, perform three sets of four to five reps, pausing between each rep to reset, and work toward increasing the load and changing the bar’s height over time.
